1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of boots and shoes, and to the particular field of impact absorbing mechanisms associated with boots and shoes.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Today, more and more people are engaging in activities such as walking, jogging, and running as well as sports such as basketball, tennis and the like. All of these activities expose a person""s feet to repeated impacts. Over time, such impacts can have adverse effects on the person""s feet, bones, joints and muscles.
Accordingly, the boot and shoe art has seen a dramatic increase in footwear designs intended to reduce the adverse effects on a wearer of such repeated impacts. These footwear designs have included various mechanisms for reducing the effects of impacts on a wearer. These designs include special insoles, fluid-filled containers or bladders integrated into the shoe and the like. Foam inserts have also been suggested.
While effective in some situations, these prior art designs have several drawbacks which vitiate the effectiveness of the designs. For example, moisture and/or heat may alter or degrade the characteristics of these mechanisms and reduce the effectiveness thereof. Still further, a liquid containing chamber or bladder may leak thereby reducing the effectiveness thereof.
Accordingly, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes which will not degrade over time or due to exposure to moisture and/or heat.
Many people use the same shoes for various and different activities. For example, a single shoe may be used in connection with running, walking, basketball, and tennis among many other activities. While somewhat related, each of these activities exposes a person""s foot to somewhat different impact characteristics. In fact, different terrain may expose a person""s foot to different impact characteristics for the same activity. Thus, for example, walking over a planar surface may generate one impact profile and walking over hilly terrain may generate another impact profile. In fact, a person may simply wish to have different impact absorbing characteristics for any number of reasons.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes that can be easily adjusted to generate different impact absorbing characteristic profiles.
Still further, a person""s foot is an extremely complex appendage. Each portion of the same foot may react differently for the same overall impact. That is, the heel of a foot may be exposed to impact due to walking, yet each section of that same heel may react in its own particular manner to that same impact. However, prior art shoes, even those with impact absorbing capabilities, are not adjustable in a manner which will permit micro adjustments to accommodate varying impact reactions to various sections of the same foot.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes that can be micro-adjusted to account for varying reactions by the same foot to an overall impact.
Still further, in addition to adjusting a shock absorbing system in a manner that accounts for variations in the person""s foot, the wide range of impact absorbing accommodation will be obtained if several different forms of impact absorbing adjustments are provided. Heretofore, not only are most adjustments in shock absorbing characteristics available only on a gross level, only one form of such adjustment is generally provided.
The use of a plurality of adjusting mechanisms will permit a user to individualize his or her shoes. Thus, each person can have his or her shoes particularly adjusted to his or her individual needs and/or tastes. For example, one shock absorber setting may create a floating feeling for one wearer but be perfect for another wearer, or even for the same wearer under different conditions. Such fine and varied adjustments have not been available in the shoes embodying the prior art.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes that has a plurality of adjusting mechanisms.
A heel portion of a person""s foot should be protected from impacts. However, in addition to protecting the heel, the ball of the foot also needs impact protection.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes that can protect both the heel of the wearer""s foot and the ball of the wearer""s foot from impact.
Since the ball of the foot reacts differently to impact than does the heel of the foot and is exposed to different impact profiles during the same foot motion, the mechanism protecting the ball of the foot should have different characteristics from a mechanism associated with the heel of the foot.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes that can be adjusted to accommodate impacts associated with the ball of the foot.
As was discussed above in association with the heel, the ball of the foot may have sections that require special impact absorbing characteristics. Such micro-adjustment associated with both the heel of the foot and the ball of the foot is not readily available in shoes of the prior art.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorber for shoes that can be adjusted to accommodate impacts associated with the ball of the foot and which can be micro-adjusted for both the heel and the ball of the foot.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for a shoe.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for shoes which will not degrade over time or due to exposure to moisture and/or heat.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for shoes that can be micro-adjusted to account for varying reactions by the same foot to an overall impact, shock absorber for shoes that can be easily adjusted to generate different impact absorbing characteristic profiles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for shoes that has a plurality of adjusting mechanisms.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for shoes that can protect both the heel of the wearer""s foot and the ball of the wearer""s foot from impact.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for shoes that can be adjusted to accommodate impacts associated with the ball of the foot and which can be micro-adjusted for both the heel and the ball of the foot.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a shock absorber for shoes that can protect the ball of the wearer""s foot from impact.
These, and other, objects are achieved by a shock absorber for a shoe, such as an athletic or cross-training shoe or the like, that can be adjusted in a manner that provides shock absorbing characteristics that are individualized and designed for each particular area of a wearer""s foot for each particular activity. For example, a heel can have several different shock absorbing profiles each of which differs from the others. Additionally, the shock absorber of the present invention can include a section associated with the ball of the foot. The ball section can also be adjusted to provide several different impact absorbing characteristics as well.
In particular, the shock absorber of the present invention includes a multichamber housing having a first and a second chamber and a plurality of springs mounted in the second chamber of the multichamber housing. One form of the invention has one multichamber housing located adjacent to the wearer""s heel and a second multichamber housing located adjacent to the ball of the wearer""s foot. Each spring in the system can be individually adjusted to provide micro-adjustments for the wearer""s foot. Still further the first chamber of each housing can include an adjustable air port to control air flow into and out of that chamber to further adjust the cushioning of the shock absorber. In some forms of the invention, springs are also located in the first chamber as well. A collapsible wall allows the multichamber housing to move as required during foot impacting situations.
Cushion elements are also included to further control and customize the shock absorbing characteristics of the shock absorber of the present invention.
In this manner, the present invention provides a shock absorber for shoes which will not degrade over time or due to exposure to moisture and/or heat. Furthermore, the shock absorber of the present invention can be micro-adjusted to account for varying reactions by the same foot to an overall impact, and the shock absorber can be easily adjusted to generate different impact absorbing characteristic profiles. The shock absorber of the present invention also has a plurality of adjusting mechanisms that can protect both the heel of the wearer""s foot and the ball of the wearer""s foot from impact. The shock absorber of the present invention can be adjusted to accommodate impacts associated with the ball of the foot and which can be micro-adjusted for both the heel and the ball of the foot and can protect the ball of the wearer""s foot from impact.